Vision: Making Murang’a County the preferred county for high quality and commercially competitive French beans products in the world.

Objective of Value Chain improvement
The main objective of the French Beans Action Plan is to ensure that the county becomes the preferred source for high quality and commercially competitive French beans products through sustainable quality improvement in the production and value addition of the beans.

Strategic Action Plan for French Beans Value Chain
The Strategic Action Plan for FB/SP Value Chain was a tool that plotted out far-reaching activities to be planned for and implemented for the next three years (2014 – 2017) specifically to address issues of FB value chain in Murang’a County. Effectively the VC actors and stakeholders needed to collaborate, learn through sharing experiences and adopting best practices to achieve the desired outputs in Strategic FB/SP Action Plan.

Specifically the Plan aimed to:

Strengthen institutional framework for then French Beans Value Chain operations.

Mainstream Gender and Social Inclusion in the French Beans Value Chain;

Develop capacity of the French Beans Value Chain actors and introduce appropriate new technologies for the VC.

Facilitate the development of PACK HOUSES for quality assurance measures through value adding.

Support the establishment of quality inputs supply mechanisms and a quality production monitoring system.

To achieve the mentioned targets some Key thematic areas of the French beans VC were identified as follows:
1. Quality Inputs and the quality control regulations
2. French Beans marketing groupings, regulations and market information
3. Farmers’ knowledge and skills in horticultural production(French beans)
4. Infrastructure challenges (Pack Houses and all weather roads).
5. Gender inclusion and participation particularly women and youth.

Current status
j) Farmers sensitized on MRLs and rejections over the same so far
k) Prices improved from KES 30 to 60 per kilo.
l) French beans marketing value chain organized into 45 group.
m) Linkages between the value chain actors to markets were strengthened – (Kieni Gathugu, Thikamu, Kamahuha,Kirimiri, Kenol horticulture farmers and Unasi farmers linked to Kenya Fresh Company for export market; Gakaki, Gacharu, and Githunguri linked to Meru green for canning industry).Other companies doing business in Murang’a are Everest, Frigoken, KHE, vegpro.
n) Linkges has brought in market information
o) Pests and diseases. Producers have been capacity built on pests and diseases through Global GAP
p) Infrastructure challenges (Poor access roads and lack of post-harvest handling and processing facilities). Access roads have been improved by the County government.
q) High cost of attaining and maintaining accredited international export standards (I.e. Global GAP). Producers have sensitized on Global GAP standards.
r) Actors have linked to financial institutions

Interventions and activities undertaken under ASDSP
a) 45 agro-producer groups, 3 Agro dealer, 3 marketers, 2 financiers identified and French bean VCP has been formed.
b) 33 Training of trainers (ToTs) trained on global GAP standards for 3 days.
c) Training of the 20 agro-producer groups on Global GAP reaching 746 members.
d) 15 TOTs trained as Internal Auditors/Inspectors to inspect and carry out internal audits on compliance by the groups.
e) Market survey was conducted and linkages established.
f) 4 days training of trainer’s workshop on Quality Management System and Record Keeping for Auditors and Inspectors.
g) The 19 trainees(14M:5W)were taken through a Global GAP version 5 QMS aimed at setting standards for all actors in the French Beans Value Chain and by extension all horticultural produce.
h) 10 French Beans Production Risks assessment carried out for producer groups.
i) 2 days Climate Smart Agriculture training
j) 21Value Chain Actors Business plans TOT Trained
k) 5 Days Sprayer Service Providers (SSP) Training for 19 youth.
l) 4 PSPs and Advisories done for French beans producers since 2013
m) Sensitization on Lobbying and Advocacy for 18 producer groups.
n) A benchmarking tour and sensitization meeting on collaboration between agro producers, financiers, Agro dealers and traders

Interventions and activities undertaken County Government
1. Establishment of model Global gap infrastructure in Kieni Gathugu and Kimakia Ngaragu Irrigation Water Projects
These infrastructures include Grading Shade, Chemical store, Toilet, Bathroom, Fertilizer store among others. They are complete except the Charcoal cooler whose walls are yet to be filled with charcoal. Each of the implementing groups has a set of the structures.
2. Quality management Systems (QMS)
• A Consultant was engaged to spearhead rolling out and implementation of QMS. In addition, required sets of record were designed. Personnel who ensured the records are correct and updated were in place and trainings carried out as required. Keys areas that were trained included First Aid training by Kenya Red Cross, Safe use of pesticides and well as farm produce handling.
• Several analyses carried out in Accredited Laboratories and several recommendations received. Among include Soil, irrigation and drinking water analysis, manure and Chemical residue screening.

3. Harvesting and marketing.
The county produces about 30MT per week translating to 1560 MT annually generating about KES 100m for the County farmers. This is about 40% the County potential.

4. Global GAP Certification
This activity was conducted Oct 2014 in the 2 groups and our plan was to have all county producers certified to enhance access to international market.

5. French beans Input Program support
The County Government has invested over KES 69 m in the project of which about 20% is in seeds, fertilizers and Pesticides and the rest in enhancing marketing.

6. Establishment of Global gap infrastructure
These infrastructures include Grading Shade, Chemical store, Toilet, Bathroom, Fertilizer store among others. They are complete except the Charcoal cooler whose walls are yet to be filled with charcoal. Each of the implementing groups has a set of the following structures constructed by the County Government.

Banana value chain project management team (PMT) wishes to take this opportunity to acknowledge National programme secretariat (NPS) for financially supporting Kiambu County banana value chain project. We do highly acknowledge His Excellency William Kabogo-the Governor Kiambu County and the County department of agriculture, livestock and fisheries through the Executive Committee Member Hon. Dr, Monicah Waiganjo PHD, for the continued support in the facilitation of access to certified banana plantlets, through supply of planting materials (tissue culture banana plantlets) banana hardening nurseries establishment and extension services provision. Special thanks go to Kiambu County ASDSP Coordinator (Madam Abigail Taabu) and her CCU team, County steering committee, Sub-County steering committee, banana value chain platform and all the value chain actors for their timely backstopping and also believing in us. Finally we appreciate all the stakeholders who in one way or another contributed to the success of banana value chain project.

It is our hope that the same spirit of collaboration will continue in the coming year, 2016/2017, for sustainable food security, income security and livelihoods enhancement within the county and beyond.

Passion fruit is a fast growing climbing vine that does well in a wide range of altitudes. There are two varieties: purple passion which is grown in highlands of altitudes 1200m to 1800m above sea level and the yellow variety which does well in the lowlands. Because of its potential, purple passion is one of the prioritized value chains in Uasin Gishu County. Consequently, the Agricultural Sector Development Support programme programme (ASDSP) alongside the County Government and other partners conducted various trainings for producers including good agronomic practices, group dynamics, value addition, water harvesting and conservation. Linkages were also created to the markets and specifically exporters. More support came from the County Government’s Horticultural Business Strategy which helped establish 31 fruit tree nurseries in the county.
As a result of these interventions, area under passion fruit increased from 10 acres in 2015 to 62.9 acres in 2016. Overall vine population now stands at 41,900 plants producing 15 tons of quality fruits per week.. Passion fruit grows fast and matures within eight months. It can be harvested four times a year, depending on the availability of rain or irrigation water. The traditional purple variety has a lifespan of two to three whereas the grafted purple/yellow variety can last for up to four years.